Emma's POV I couldn't help but admire Ryan's ability to play the part flawlessly. Despite my initial discomfort, there was an undeniable chemistry in our staged encounters. ********"We went back to my office, George was shooting for a portfolio but as soon as George saw us, he took a break and came to us." Hey, did you go to meet them? " He asked us. " Yes, we did. " I said." And?? " " It was good, they were convinced that I have someone in my life now. " I said. " So everything is sorted now, they started taking the medicines?? " George asked. " Yes!! Thankfully! " " Great! So, mission accomplished!! " He grinned. " It is just the beginning, these three were easy to handle. I will have to go for Eva's engagement and wedding. Daniel and Dad would not be so easy to convince. As it is Daniel is waiting for a chance to get even with me."" I am sorry, I forgot about this man. Who is Daniel?" Ryan questioned. " Her ex... " George replied when I didn't say anything. " Really?
Emma's POV "Have you gone mad? How can you even suggest something like that? " I got annoyed at George, hearing that."No, I am perfectly sane. Try to understand, Emma; it will be easier to convince your family further. " He gave his reason. " But they are already convinced. " I retorted. " What if they get to know that he is living in a hotel, they will get to know that you both are not serious about your relationship; otherwise, why would he live in a hotel when you have such a big and cozy home? It is not normal, Emma. " He said. " Fine!! He can come after two days, I need to make arrangements. But you, Ryan, stick to your room and don't interfere in my life or home. You will have to follow my rules if you want to stay there. " " Okay, ma'am!! " He grinned and nodded. Idiot!! " George, help him select some formal, partywear clothes and shoes for Eva's engagement and wedding ceremony. " " Hey, I have good clothes. Do you think I can't afford to have good clothes? I earn th
Emma's POV Beneath the suit, I chose a crisp white dress shirt, meticulously tailored to fit him perfectly. The shirt's subtle texture added a hint of luxury without overshadowing the overall ensemble. A silk navy-blue tie adorned with a discreet pattern completed the look, providing a tasteful pop of color against the charcoal backdrop.I carefully curated a sophisticated ensemble for him, ensuring he exuded charm and refinement. " Why are you so tensed, this is a part of the deal. I am not going to ask you to pay for the clothes. Consider them as perks of the deal. " I said. "I appreciate the effort, Emma, but I don't want your parents to think that I was trying too hard and I'm just after their money." "It's not about the money; it's about the image. If they see you as a successful, sophisticated man, they'll back off from pushing me to marry someone of their choice." I sighed, my frustration apparent.After much deliberation, they compromised on a stylish ensemble that struck
Emma's POVAs we explored more options, Ryan couldn't resist teasing me by suggesting some daring choices, like a bold velvet jacket or a flamboyant bow tie. "Come on, Emma, let's add a dash of wild to the mix. Your parents will love it!" "Ryan, we're not attending a circus. We need something classy." I raised an eyebrow and said. Amidst the formality, Ryan managed to slip into a few casual outfits that exuded charm without compromising style. He twirled in a well-fitted blazer, winking at Emma. "What do you think? Can I wear this to the pre-wedding festivities?"I couldn't help but laugh. "You're going to turn heads, that's for sure."We continued the process of trying on different outfits, each exchange made me more aware of him. As they moved on to accessories, Ryan couldn't resist a playful attempt at tying a bow tie. I couldn't resist teasing him about the silk tie as he had not tied the naught perfectly. "Oops, I think I messed it up. Mind helping me, Emma?" he asked me to t
Emma's POV "I think I am paying you to work, not to gossip. Go and do your work, or I will deduct your salary. " I threatened her but she smiled. " I said shut up!! He is just a friend. " " Liar!! If he is just a friend, why are you getting so hyper?? I am happy for you. " " Go and do your work, Lily. " I said. She smiled and went away, saying, " But I liked this one, very handsome and hot. Introduce me to him if he is single by any chance, and if, you are not interested. " Crazy girl!! Why do I have to deal with all the crazy people in the world? I kept working on some new designs, and after a few hours, it was my time to go home, so I drove home. I opened the door of my cottage; it was absolutely clean and calm, the way I liked it. That's why I bought this nice beautiful cottage on the outskirts of the city, away from the busy life and heavy traffic of the city. It had been a good summer, but now we were in October, and the blue sky beyond my window held the clear pureness
Emma's POV It was a beautiful cottage, only the kitchen was modern, as I could not deal with the old ways of cooking and wanted everything to be very functional and easy to use. I was still thinking about it when the doorbell rang. I went to open the door and saw him standing there with his luggage. The moment Ryan stepped into my home, his eyes widened in amazement. "Wow, your home is beautiful," he exclaimed, practically bouncing on his toes. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his enthusiasm." You came here in the morning as well, you didn't say anything at that time." I reminded him. " I wanted to, but George had told me to be quiet as you were very upset and tense, and later on when you were normal, we were already discussing more pressing and serious issues. But seriously, Emma, this place is like a dream!" He said and I thanked him with a polite smile. " I can't believe, I am going to live here with you. " He said again looking around. "Ryan, let's get one thing strai
Emma's POV "Ryan, I am allowing you to stay with me in my home, but since none of my family members are here, we don't need to pretend or be friendly. So stay as far as possible from me. Make yourself almost invisible to me. I don't like noise or to be disturbed, that's why I bought this cottage in the calm surroundings. Don't even think of spoiling the peace and tranquility that I need and feel here. " " I swear, you are very pretty but extremely boring. Fine, I will try not to disturb you deliberately. But I am not your servant, you need me more than I need you. So I will try not to disturb you, but I don't promise to follow your rules." He said. I was annoyed with his arrogance but I had no other choice as I had already introduced him to my family. " Fine!! But keep one thing in mind we need to be very convincing. My family will leave me alone only if they are convinced that I'm dating a serious, responsible man. So, no dance parties, no fights, no flirting, no guests, and def
Emma's POV " Are you not interested in men? Or are you interested in some particular man?" He asked again with a raised eyebrow. Ughhh!!! God, please forgive me, If I kill this man someday soon. " Listen for once and for all. I am saying this for, the last time, none of the assumptions you made are correct. I am not interested in all this. For me, my work is everything; I don't have time to waste on useless emotions. " I said firmly, and just then, the doorbell rang, and he went to get the food. He had ordered Italian food. He got the food while I got up to lay the table. The food smelt good, and we served food on our plates. I was so tense and felt guilty about deceiving my family. So could not eat much. He seemed to be very hungry and finished his food. " Hey, why are you not eating, the food was so good, you didn't like it? If so, I will order something else for you. " He asked. " No!! I don't feel like eating. Please don't worry. I am fine, just tense as I feel that I am
Emma's POV Suddenly, James tugged at my sleeve, pulling me from my thoughts. “Mummy, are you okay?”I forced a smile, nodding. “I’m fine, sweetheart.”Ryan’s eyes flickered toward me, his expression softening for just a moment before he turned back to James. “Right, let’s finish up and get home. We’ve got a living room to camp in, remember?”As we left the diner, James happily chatted about all the “camping” supplies they’d need; I couldn’t shake the growing unease in my chest. Ryan was laughing and planning with James as if we were a normal family, but things were far from normal. I wasn’t sure if I could let my guard down.One thing was clear, though: James was thrilled. And as long as he was happy, I would go along with their ridiculous plans… even if it meant letting Ryan be a little too close for comfort.We reached my home, and he stopped the car; before he could say Anything, I got out of the car, turned on my heel, and headed for the door. He followed behind me, his footsteps
Emma's POV Ryan raised an eyebrow but didn’t press it. Instead, he turned back to James. “So, mate, I’ve been thinking. Once we finish this monstrous milkshake, we should plan something fun. You know, a real adventure. How about we build a fort when we get home? Or…” His eyes twinkled mischievously. “We could camp in the living room tonight. I’ll bring my torch, and we’ll tell scary stories. What do you say?”James gasped, bouncing in his seat. “Can we, Mummy? Please? Can we camp in the living room?”I blinked at them, half-expecting Ryan to burst out laughing at the absurdity of his suggestion. But he was dead serious—and so was James. “I don’t think we have space for that…”Ryan cut in, shaking his head. “Emma, where’s your sense of adventure? We don’t need space. We’ll make it work. Move some furniture, throw down some blankets. It’ll be like we’re out in the wild!”“Camping… in my flat?” I asked, incredulous.“Exactly,” Ryan said, giving me a grin that I both hated and… found a l
Ryan's POV Great! Simply great!! Now you see, my love, how I won you back; no matter what happened in the past, I am going to resolve it and have you in my home, in my bed, and my arms, soon, very soon. You are mine!! Emma's POV “Fine,” Ryan said, finally relenting, though his tone was still far too smug for my liking. “If you insist on your flat, we’ll go there. But don’t think this is over, Emma. We’ll talk more about what’s best for James.”I glared at him but said nothing; he drove back toward my flat. I was looking out of the window. Just then James asked from the back seat, “Mummy! Can we stop for lunch? I’m starving!”“Starving?” Ryan scoffed dramatically, quickening his pace to catch up with James. “Didn't you eat breakfast, son?”James giggled. “But that was 3 hours ago! I’m a growing boy.”Ryan smiled at him through the rearview mirror. “Alright, alright. You’re right. A growing boy needs fuel. How about we stop at that diner just up the street? The one with those massive
Emma's POV “Are you out of your mind?” I hissed, barely able to keep my voice steady.Ryan’s eyes darkened, his smile fading into something more cold, more calculated. “Yes, I am. I’ve lost all sense of reason after finding out you’ve been hiding our child from me. The best I can do now is ensure he lives with me, where he belongs. You can come along if you like, or I’ll take you to court. And trust me, Emma, I’ll make sure you don’t get to live with him. You deprived me of his love. The choice is yours.”His words struck like a blow, knocking the wind out of me. I knew he wasn’t bluffing. He had the resources, the connections, and the determination to follow through. And James—oh God, James would be caught in the middle of this, pulled apart by our war. My stomach twisted at the thought.I stood there, my pulse thundering in my ears as Ryan’s words sank in. His smile was too calm, too assured as if he already knew how this would play out. As if he’d won. I clenched my fists, resisti
Emma’s POVHalf an hour ago…I woke up in the quiet stillness of the hotel room, my head heavy but the sharp edge of the migraine thankfully dulled. Soft morning light filtered through the curtains, and I blinked, adjusting to my surroundings. The space beside me brought a pang of unease. Where was Ryan?My heart quickened as fragments of last night flickered in my mind—Ryan’s warm, steady hands taking care of me, holding me through the worst of the pain. Was it real, or had I dreamt it? And now, he was gone.Then the realization hit me like a cold wave. James. School.Ryan had been insistent about removing James from the hostel, determined to bring him home. My breath caught as dread clawed its way into my chest. He hadn’t waited for me to wake up. He didn’t as he was going to take James away from me.“Oh, God,” I muttered, panic rising. Why hadn’t I realized it sooner? I shouldn’t have agreed to this, I shouldn’t have let him take the reins. I had to stop him.I threw on yesterday’s
Ryan's POV I wasn’t going to let our son stay in that hostel any longer. He belonged with us, with me. And I knew Emma. She wouldn’t let me take him away from her. She loved him too much for that. It was the one card I had to play, and I was going to play it carefully and strategically. She’d have no choice but to come back. And once she was here, once we were together again, I’d make sure she never left.I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, and smiled. “You were born to be with me,” I whispered, my lips brushing against her skin. “And I’ll get you back, my love. By hook or by crook.”She stirred slightly, but I didn’t move. I wanted to hold her longer, to stay like this forever, but I had things to do. I couldn’t afford to waste time, not when the plan was already in motion. I gently untangled myself from her, careful not to wake her, and slipped out of bed. She needed her rest. Last night had taken its toll, and I wasn’t going to rush her recovery. I could wait. I h
Ryan's POV I hadn’t planned for things to turn out this way.But this time she shocked me. Not only did she leave me without saying a word, even when we had a baby together. Why did she leave? What was the reason that had torn us apart? My jaw tightened as the memory surfaced. How could she not have told me? Didn’t I deserve to know? Didn’t I have a right to be angry?But then, looking at her now, so pale and fragile, all that anger seemed to dissolve into something else. Something softer, more desperate. I didn’t just want answers. I wanted her. I wanted to hold her, pull her close, and make all of this go away. I wanted her back in my life, in my arms, where she belonged.But I couldn’t do that. Not yet. Not until we talked. Talked.Despite everything, I could never fall out of love with her. For now, I had to be patient. I had to let her rest, let her heal. There would be time for everything else later.But as I sat there, watching her sleep, I knew one thing for certain: I wa
Ryan's POV I sat down next to her, not saying anything at first. She didn’t move, didn’t look at me, but I knew she was aware of my presence. After a while, she spoke, her voice, barely a whisper, “I hate it here.”It wasn’t a dramatic statement, just a simple, heartbreaking truth. She wasn’t talking about the river or the house or even her life. She was talking about being stuck in a world that didn’t let her be herself. I didn’t know what to say. I was just a kid too, barely able to handle my own emotions, let alone someone else’s.But I wanted to comfort her, to let her know she wasn’t alone. So, I did the only thing I could think of—I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. It wasn’t much, but it was something. She looked up at me then, and for the first time, I saw her really look at me, not as her older brother, or a family friend, or some orphan boy her parents had taken in, but as someone who mattered to her. It was in that moment that I realized I cared about
Ryan's POV Everyone was worried about her, and she was hiding in my room. I had no idea how she’d managed to slip past her mother’s watchful eyes, but there she was, curled up under my bed. At first, I thought she was just playing some game, but then I realized she was sleeping. She must have been so exhausted from constantly having to be someone she wasn’t. I watched her for a while, not sure what to do. Should I wake her? Should I let her sleep? In the end, I just left her there. She looked peaceful, and I wasn’t about to disturb that.When she got up and I felt the moment under the bed I bent to see her. " Hello!! " " H..Hi!! " She said looking a bit scared. " Come out!! " I said and she came out feeling embarrassed for being caught. " What are you doing here?? " I asked. " Hiding." She bit her lip. " But why?" I asked her. " My mom wants me to learn to play music and Dad wants me to take classes to be like him... I..." She told me hesitantly. " And you don't want to do th